Michigan Humanities Council
Okemos, MI · EIN 51-0164775. Reported 234 grants totalling $2,941,361 to 181 organizations across tax years 2020-2023, on Form 990 Schedule I.
181organizations funded
$10,350median reported grant
$2,941,361granted, 2020-2023
21%of grantees funded again the next year
6%of dollars to its largest recipient
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For Michigan Humanities Council, the IRS classifies it under arts & culture rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE A70Z) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 181 distinct organizations, with 6% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 21% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is below the 57% median for grantmaking charities, and well below the 67% private foundations manage. A list that turns over this much is one a newcomer can realistically join.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $10,350. Half of what it reported fell between $7,500 and $15,000; the smallest was $1,200 and the largest $72,477. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Schedule I only reports grants over $5,000. Form 990 requires a charity to list recipients it paid more than that and lets it omit the rest, so every grant-size figure on this page describes the grants it reported, not all of them. Its real median is lower and its real recipient count is higher. This is also why these numbers cannot be compared with the private-foundation figures elsewhere on this site -- Form 990-PF has no reporting floor, so the two are different populations rather than two samples of one.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $167,562 | 9 | 4 | 2023 |
| Museum of Ojibwa Culture | St Ignace, MI | $92,500 | 4 | 3 | 2022 |
| Library of Michigan Foundation | Lansing, MI | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Underground Railroad Society of Cass County | Vandalia, MI | $55,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | $52,570 | 4 | 2 | 2022 |
| Wayne State University | Detroit, MI | $51,613 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Access | Dearborn, MI | $47,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Detroit Historical Society | Detroit, MI | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Youth Arts Unlocked | Flint, MI | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Detroit Puppet Company | Detroit, MI | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Michigan Environmental Council | Lansing, MI | $37,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Templearts | Saginaw, MI | $37,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Herrick District Library | Holland, MI | $33,700 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Michigan Centennial Farm Asssociation | Lansing, MI | $32,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Affirmations Community Center | Ferndale, MI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Capital City Film Festival | Lansing, MI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Detroit Public Theatre | Detroit, MI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives | Grand Rapids, MI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Hope College | Holland, MI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Jewish Historical Society of Michigan | Bloomfield Hills, MI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Saginaw Valley State University | University Center, MI | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Alma College | Alma, MI | $29,975 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Northern Michigan University | Marquette, MI | $29,956 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Real People Media Inc | Calumet, MI | $29,115 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Every Soul Arts | Detroit, MI | $28,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities Inc | Grand Rapids, MI | $27,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Troy Historical Society | Troy, MI | $25,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Chaldean Community Foundation | Sterling Hts, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Historical Society of Greater Lansing | Lansing, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Kalamazoo Institute of Arts | Kalamazoo, MI | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Lowell Area Historical Association | Lowell, MI | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Mason County District Library | Ludington, MI | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Birmingham Museum (city of Birmingham) | Birmingham, MI | $24,475 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Board of Regents of Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, MI | $23,900 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Long Haul Productions Inc | Three Oaks, MI | $22,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| 826 Michigan | Ypsilanti, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Diatribe Inc | Grand Rapids, MI | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum | Portage, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Michigan Humanities Council | Marshall, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Inc | Brutus, MI | $19,095 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Warren Public Library | Warren, MI | $19,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Writers Series of Traverse City | Traverse City, MI | $17,690 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society | Douglas, MI | $15,750 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Arts League of Michigan Inc | Detroit, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Athens Community Library | Athens, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Berrien County Historical Association | Berrien Springs, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Big Rapids Community Library | Big Rapids, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Chaldean Community Cultural Center | W Bloomfield, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Comstock Township Library | Comstock Township, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Disart | Grand Rapids, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Friends of Spring Lake District Library | Spring Lake, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities Inc | Traverse City, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hillsdale Community Library | Hillsdale, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Imichigan Productions | Flint, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Institute of Public Scholarship | Kalamazoo, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ironwood Theatre Inc | Ironwood, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Keiga Foundation | Royal Oak, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kingman Museum Inc | Battle Creek, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lgbt Detroit | Detroit, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Manistee Area Racial Justice & Diversity Initiative (marjdi) | Manistee, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Marygrove Conservancy | Detroit, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Mason County Historical Society Inc | Ludington, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Matrix Theatre Company Inc | Detroit, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Michiana Public Broadcasting Corporation | South Bend, IN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Michigan Stage | Southfield, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Midtown Detroit Inc | Detroit, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Mighty Real Queer Detroit | Detroit, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Milford Historical Society | Milford, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit | Detroit, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northwestern Michigan College Foundation | Traverse City, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Otsego District Public Library | Otsego, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Puppetart | W Bloomfield, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Shakespeare in Detroit | Dearborn, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Shiawassee Arts Council | Owosso, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sunfield District Library | Sunfield, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Great Lakes Childrens Museum | Traverse City, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Traverse Area Historical Society | Traverse City, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University Liggett School | Grosse Pt Wds, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Black Bottom Archives (allied Media Projects Fiscal Sponsor) | Detroit, MI | $14,800 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Midland Center for the Arts Inc | Midland, MI | $14,475 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lowell Area Arts Council | Lowell, MI | $14,400 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Kalamazoo Literacy Council | Kalamazoo, MI | $13,655 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ella Sharp Museum Association of Jackson | Jackson, MI | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Friends of Theodore Roethke Foundation | Saginaw, MI | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Society of Active Retirees | Farmingtn Hls, MI | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Benzonia Public Library | Benzonia, MI | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Milwaukee Film Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $11,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Remus Area Historical Society | Remus, MI | $11,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| The Vagrancy Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $10,675 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Calvin University | Grand Rapids, MI | $10,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The King House Association | Good Hart, MI | $10,400 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| American Museum of Magic Inc | Marshall, MI | $10,300 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| A Host of People Inc | Detroit, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| African-American History & Literature Gallery | Benton Harbor, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Alma Public Library | Alma, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Benton Harbor Public Library | Benton Harbor, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Caecc | Ann Arbor, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology | Bellaire, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| East Lansing Public Library | East Lansing, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Eau Claire District Library | Eau Claire, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Friends of Historical Hamtramck | Hamtramck, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Grand Rapids Public Museum | Grand Rapids, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hart Area Public Library | Hart, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Holland Historical Trust | Holland, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Howe Memorial Library | Breckenridge, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Iron County Historical and Museum Society | Caspian, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Jackson County Michigan Historical Society Inc | Jackson, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lawrence Technological University | Southfield, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society | Empire, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Marquette County Historical Society Inc | Marquette, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Missaukee District Library | Lake City, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Montmorency County Public Libraries | Atlanta, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Moore Public Library | Lexington, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Newaygo Area District Library | Newaygo, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Nokomis Learning Center | Okemos, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Northwest Michigan Arts and Culture Network | Traverse City, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Plowshares Theatre Company | Detroit, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Suburban Library Cooperative | Sterling Heights, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Vicksburg District Library | Vicksburg, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| White Cloud Community Library | White Cloud, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Hamburg Township Library | Hamburg, MI | $9,450 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Bellaire Public Library | Bellaire, MI | $9,250 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center | Vicksburg, MI | $9,015 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Beaver Island Historical Society of Michigan | Beaver Island, MI | $8,800 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ironwood Carnegie Library | Ironwood, MI | $8,720 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Bosnian-American Cultural Center Behar | Sterling Hts, MI | $8,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Millington-Arbela Historical Society | Millington, MI | $8,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Michigan Technological University | Houghton, MI | $8,350 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Flat River Community Library | Greenville, MI | $7,800 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Pentwater Township Library | Pentwater, MI | $7,800 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Alcona Historical Society Inc | Harrisville, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Buchanan District Library | Buchanan, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Bullard Sanford Memorial Library | Vassar, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Carp Lake Township Library | White Pine, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Cinema Lamont | Oak Park, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Coopersville Farm Museum Inc | Coopersville, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Crooked Tree Arts Council Inc | Petoskey, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Elsie Public Library | Elsie, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Hartford Public Library | Hartford, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Hellenic Museum of Michigan | Detroit, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Holocaust Memorial Center | Farmingtn Hls, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Ionia Community Library | Ionia, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Japanese Cultural Center Tea House & Gardens of Saginaw Inc | Saginaw, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Leighton Township Library | Moline, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Liberty Hyde Baily Museum Memorial Fund Inc | South Haven, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Loutit District Library | Grand Haven, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library | Marcellus, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Marshall Historical Society Inc | Marshall, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Mexicantown Community Development Corporation | Detroit, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Michigans Military Heritage Museum | Grass Lake, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Midwest Miniatures Museum | Grand Haven, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Millington Arbela District Library | Millington, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit | Detroit, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Pinckney Community Public Library | Pinckney, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Queer Theatre Inc | Kalamazoo, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Shelby Area District Library | Shelby, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Wakefield Public Library | Wakefield, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Waldron District Library | Waldron, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Washtenaw County Historical Society | Ann Arbor, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Zeeland Historical Society | Zeeland, MI | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Glen Arbor Arts Center | Glen Arbor, MI | $6,805 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Little Traverse Historical Society | Petoskey, MI | $6,800 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Columbia Township Library | Unionville, MI | $6,600 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Oak Park Public Library | Oak Park, MI | $6,400 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Jc Wheeler Public Library | Martin, MI | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Tch Reynolds Township Library | Howard City, MI | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| White Pine Library Cooperative | Caro, MI | $5,835 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Vicksburg Historical Society | Vicksburg, MI | $5,440 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Allen Park Historical Commission | Allen Park, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Branch County Historical Society | Coldwater, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Dearborn Historical Museum | Dearborn, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Home Township Library | Edmore, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Jackson School of the Arts Association | Jackson, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Tecumseh Area Historical Society | Tecumseh, MI | $4,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| White Lake Community Library | Whitehall, MI | $4,415 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Alpena County George N Fletcher Public Library | Alpena, MI | $3,650 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Georgetown Township Public Library | Jenison, MI | $2,925 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Burlington Township Library | Burlington, MI | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| River Raisin Ragtime Revue | Tecumseh, MI | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
35 of 181 (19%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
It also reported 1 group of grants to individuals -- scholarships, emergency assistance and similar. Schedule I reports these by category with a headcount and never by name, so there is nothing here we could publish about the recipients even if we wanted to.
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 99 of 181 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 131 | $1,393,654 | $10,000 |
| 2021 | 35 | $455,480 | $15,000 |
| 2022 | 41 | $636,830 | $15,000 |
| 2023 | 27 | $455,397 | $15,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
99% of its giving went to organizations in Michigan. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available that two funders have overlapping priorities -- and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund39 shared recipientsCommunity Foundation for Southeast37 shared recipientsDonor Advised Charitable Giving Inc31 shared recipientsAmerican Online Giving Foundation Inc20 shared recipientsVanguard Charitable Endowment Program16 shared recipientsThe Fred a & Barbara M Erb Family16 shared recipients
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $10,350 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in Michigan.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Michigan Humanities Council's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 27 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 0 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 2364 Woodlake Drive 100, Okemos, MI, 48864.
EIN 51-0164775 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
This is history, not an open call. Form 990 is published about a year after the tax year it covers. Nothing on this page is a deadline. It is a record of who this organization has actually funded, which is the best available predictor of who it will fund next.
Is something here wrong about your organization? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.